Cyprus presidency of the Council of the European Union

As the Republic of Cyprus takes up the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union, from January to 30 June 2026, under the motto “An Autonomous Union. Open to the World”, the European Chemical Employers Group (ECEG) welcomes the Presidency’s forward-looking programme, particularly its priorities in the area of employment and social policy.

The Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU takes place at a pivotal moment for Europe’s economy and labour markets, marked by persistent skills shortages, demographic pressures and the need to reinforce industrial competitiveness. In this context, the Presidency’s priorities under the EPSCO Council rightly emphasise employment, skills and social policies as key enablers of sustainable growth, resilience and productivity across the Single Market.

The Cyprus Presidency places employment, social affairs and the Union of Skills at the heart of its agenda, with a clear commitment to strengthening Europe’s social model through the European Pillar of Social Rights, fostering fair and inclusive labour markets, and promoting sustainable competitiveness in the face of digital and environmental transformations. This emphasis recognises that a resilient labour market, built on high-quality jobs, effective skills development, and support for people adapting to change, underpins long-term economic performance and social cohesion across the Union.

ECEG particularly supports the Presidency’s focus on skills, fair labour mobility and effective implementation of existing frameworks rather than on the creation of new legislative burdens. The programme rightly highlights the importance of advancing the Union of Skills, addressing demographic and employment challenges such as reskilling, upskilling and quality job creation, as well as fair labour mobility, all essentials to support EU’s competitiveness. ECEG also welcomes the Presidency’s emphasis on EPSCO’s role within the European Semester, helping ensure that employment and social policies actively support Europe’s competitiveness, productivity and industrial growth.

Moreover, the Cyprus Presidency echoes ECEG’s long-standing call for simplification and promotion of regulatory coherence, supporting both workers and employers, including SMEs, and making existing EU rules work better in practice, without disproportionate new compliance costs.

In an evolving labour market shaped by digitalisation, demographic change and global competition, ECEG endorses the Cyprus Presidency’s balanced strategy of strengthening implementation, supporting skills development and enhancing the competitiveness of European industry within a robust social framework. We look forward to engaging constructively with the Presidency and social partners as these priorities progress throughout 2026.

Logo credits: Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU.